Button contact



June 23, 1959 a. N. HARRIS 2,892,178

- BUTTON CONTACT Filed 001:. 26. 1956 INVENTOR. I George N.Harns hwqgl M n-1W give added strength to the crimp and also prevent distortion thereof during the forming stages of the connector. Referring now to Figure 4 there is shown a socket 26 of the type in which the button contact connector 10 is utilized. 'Ihese bayonet fixtures are used typically in The socket also carries therein a button insert 32 which is of a non-conducting material and has therein a pair of holes 34 and a projecting lug or key 36. A spring 30 isprovided to maintain contact between a lamp base or other device and'the button connectors 10 in the ;sock et. Thespring 30 bears against the underside of the insert 32 and tends to push it out of the socket. Upon installation of the lamp or other device in the socket 26 the spring 30 maintains good contact between the button contact and the lamp.

Fitted within the holes 34 of the button 32 are a pair of button contact connectors 10 according to the present invention. As may be seen these have a generally oval or elliptical shaped head 14 which is rounded oif on all edges so that the contact portion of the lamp or other device can readily ride up the sloped surface to the flat contact area. The button contact member 14 is of greater dimensions than the diameter of the hole 34 so that it cannot fall through the hole but will always remain in fixed position on the top side therein.

In actual operation if both ends of the wires 38 are free the connector 10 is crimped on to one end of the wire and the wire inserted through the holes 34 therein as is being done in Figure 4. If the other end of wires 38 are already connected the wire is inserted through the socket and the connector 10 applied from on top.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6 there is shown on an enlarged scale the insertion of the button contact connector 10 into a hole 34. As may be seen in Figure 5 the ears 18 of the connector 10 act as a guide to assist in the insertion of the connector 10 into the holes 34 in properly oriented alignment. The swaged areas 24 on the lower portion of ears 18 are provided to assist in the curling in of the cars 18 as the connector is inserted in the .hole. As may be clearly seen in Figure 5 the ears ,18 have small areas 40 at each end thereof which are not swaged and which retain their sharp rectangular corner. As the connector 10 is pushed into the holes 30 the ears 18 are forced together slightly so that they are somewhat under compression as they enter into the holes 34. This causes the edges of the surfaces 40 to dig into the inner sides of the holes 34 and to securely hold the button contact therein. This overcomes the annoying characteristic of some button contacts of always coming out, of the holes upon removal of the lamp or other 'the spring or socket when the device is compressed to insert the lamp or other object therein and a secure, low resistance contact is obtained when the lamp is inserted in the socket.

In addition to the ears 18 acting as guides and securing means for the button 14 they can also act as adjustable elements to compensate for various sized holes 34 so that a single connector 10 can be used for a wide range of Wire sizes. For larger sized holes the ears are not bent up as far into a U shaped fashion during the forming operation as they are for the smaller sized holes.

While there is given above a certain specific example of this invention and its application in practical use, it should be understood that this is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limiting of the invention. On the contrary, this illustration and explanation herein are given in order to acquaint others skilled in the art with this invention and the principles thereof and a suitable manner of its application in practical use, so that others skilled in the art may be enabled to modify the invention and to adapt and apply it in numerous forms each as may be best suited to the requirements of a particular use.

I claim:

1. For use in an aperture in a block of insulating material to provide a contact surface on one face of the block, an electrical connector comprising a ferrule portion adapted to be pressure formed onto an electrical conductor, a generally planar contact member disposed substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said ferrule portion, an intermediate web portion integrally joining said ferrule portion and said contact member, a pair of ears flaring outwardly from said web portion and defining therewith a channel section in alignment with said ferrule portion, said channel section smoothly tapering from adjacent said ferrule portion from a width and depth to pass within said aperture to dimensions exceeding that of said aperture, the tapered portion of said channel section having swaged free end edges for presenting a broad surface of engagement with the aperture sidewalls as said ears are cammed inwardly upon seating of the connector in said aperture.

2. For use in an aperture in a block of insulating material to provide a contact surface on one face of the block, an integral electrical connector comprising a first channel portion having a pair of ears adapted to form a ferrule of lesser dimensions than said aperture for connection to an electrical conductor, a second channel portion having outwardly flaring ears and a root which extends substantially as a continuation of the root of said first channel, said second channel smoothly tapering from adjacent said first channel from a width and depth to pass easily within said aperture to dimensions exceeding that of said aperture, the tapered portion of said second channel having swaged free end edges smoothly merging into channel edges of rectangular configuration extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of said channel portions, and a generally planar contact member joined to the root of said second channel and disposed substantially at right angles to said axes.

Jacobson Jan. 3, 1939 2,551,970 Sampson May 8, 1951 2,606,264 Jacobi Aug. 15, 1952 

